Jasmine turned away. ‘Shut your mouth, Ric,’ she snapped, but Tom heard the tremble in her voice.

‘You was always real good to him, Jas …’

Tom saw the pain and the anger in Rico’s face, the tears welling in his black eyes. He put a hand on his shoulder. ‘I’m so sorry, Ric.’

‘Ain’t gonna cry,’ Rico said fiercely, brushing Tom’s hand away, his breath growing hoarse and ragged. ‘Gonna get even. Right, Jas?’

‘You know it,’ she said. ‘Now, be good. Take your inhaler.’

‘It don’t work,’ he complained.

‘Do it,’ Jasmine snapped. ‘You gonna keel over before you get even with that mad bitch who did Ramone?’

His young, clear face still screwed up with emotion, Rico took two wheezy puffs on his inhaler.

‘Thanks for coming after me,’ Tom said. ‘Thank you both.’

‘Forget it,’ Jasmine said distantly. ‘With the guys gone, Polar turned ’wolf and Ramone … Well. Guess we got to look after the friends we got left.’ She started the wagon’s engine. ‘And that means getting you to a doctor. I patched you up the best I could, but Woollard should take a look. He’s got some good pills, they’ll help with the pain.’

‘But he lied to us about Stacy wanting my blood,’ said Rico, rubbing his forearm.

‘I’m not sure we can trust him,’ Tom agreed, ‘and neither is the man I met tonight.’

Jasmine cut the engine, looked at him gravely. ‘The real Jicaque, right?’

‘Right.’ He winced as he tried to straighten his shoulder.

Jasmine sighed heavily. ‘Well then, I guess we get Stacy Stein to take a look.’

‘And hook up with Kate at the same time,’ Tom added automatically.

‘Don’t worry, Tommy boy.’ She put the car in gear and pulled out into the dark, silent street. ‘I ain’t forgotten your sweetheart.’

g

Kate turned to Stacy as the banging on the front door grew louder. ‘There must be a back way out of here?’

Stacy nodded. ‘Let’s find it.’

But as they reached the hall, they heard a frantic voice at the door rise above the banging: ‘Stacy! I know you’re in there – I can see your car outside. Let me in! He’ll get me! I can’t find my keys, let me in!’

‘That’s Woollard,’ Stacy breathed, heading for the front door. ‘He sounds terrified.’

Kate hung back in the hallway as Stacy fumbled with the door latch and finally got the door open.

Woollard shambled in on his knees, clutching his stomach, and pitched forwards. ‘Dr Stein,’ he gasped. ‘How’d you get in here? Close the door, for God’s sake.’

Stacy tried, but Woollard’s legs were blocking the way. ‘Help me, Kate!’ she said.

Kate took the doctor by his clammy hands and dragged him forwards. To her horror she found he was leaving a thick trail of blood in his wake, a crimson stripe across the floorboards.